Target archers and archers who bowhunt utilize different arrow tips (or “points”), but both wish to modify and tune the arrow, arrow tips, arrow weight, and arrow “front of center” to achieve perfect arrow flight. Most arrow shafts have a threaded insert at one end and are designed to receive an arrow tip. Two commonly used arrow tips are field tips and broadheads. Target archers commonly use field tips, which often consist of a rounded or conical point similar in shape to a bullet, with a threaded portion that secures it to the arrow shaft via a threaded insert. Bowhunters commonly utilize broadheads for hunting, which will often have two or more blades. There are many different kinds of broadheads known in the industry, including fixed blade broadheads and mechanical broadheads. Some broadheads include 2 opposing blades, while others utilize three or more blades. Many broadheads use straight edged blades, while others are curved. Additional, specialized arrow tips exist for turkey hunting, rabbit hunting, and other small game, for example “judo” points. Most all arrow tips have a threaded portion (or “stud”) adapted to be threaded into the threaded insert placed in the arrow shaft. This thread and insert system allows for archers and bowhunters to change arrow tips easily and quickly by merely unscrewing one tip and screwing in another.
Archers and bowhunters desire to control the aerodynamic properties and hunting properties of the arrow by selecting different weights of arrow tips. However, arrow tips with different weights, or even different shapes, will have different flight characteristics. For example, one field point may weigh 100 grains, while another field point may weigh 125 grains, and yet another may weigh 150 grains. All three different field points will have different flight characteristics.
Similarly, different broadhead arrow tips may have different weights, ranging from below 100 grains, to some specialty arrow tips weighing in at over 200 grains. The larger hunting arrow tips may be desired by a hunter for larger blades or more overall weight to produce more force upon impact.
At present, if an archer or bowhunter wishes to change the performance of their arrow via experimenting with different weighted arrow tips at the end of the arrow, they are generally required to purchase many different weighted field points or broadheads in order to test them and determine which performs best for the length of their arrow, spine of the arrow shaft and poundage of the bow they are shooting. Additionally, an archer may sight in their bow using field points that weigh 100 grains, but then later purchase broadheads or other hunting arrows tips that weigh 125 grains. In that instance, the archer may have to re-sight in their bow using 125 grain field points, or using the broadheads themselves.
Different arrows may have different spine flex, e.g., have different stiffness. In fact, a particular arrow manufacturer may have multiple arrow models/types having different spine flex, each different spine flex being optimized for different bows and different bow draw weights and lengths. If a weak arrow having too much flex is shot, it will have an undesirable amount of flex, and its flight trajectory may not be true. A stiffer arrow, on the other hand, will have less oscillation, or flex, when shot, will correct more quickly from the force of the bow, and have a better flight trajectory. Similarly, a shorter arrow will ordinarily have less spine flex than a longer arrow of the same type. However, having the right amount of weight at the front end of the arrow, for example, in the tip, can optimize the overall flex and trajectory. By adjusting the overall weight at the tip, a user can adjust how the spine reacts. Unfortunately, this normally requires the user to experiment with different tips, having different weights, to determine what works best for their bow, draw weight, draw length, arrow length, etc.
There are some prior art patents for arrow tips that incorporate limited aspect of adjustable weights, but such prior art patents are not user friendly, require specialized tools, and do not maximize the weight distribution and spine flex of the arrow shafts. Moreover, some of the prior art patents can even be dangerous to use. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,783 B2 discloses the use of one or more washers and weights to an arrow insert and arrow point in a location forward of the junction between the arrow shaft and the arrow tip, and located within a cavity formed by the broadhead blades. Adding weights to a threaded stub located between multiple sharp blades can obviously be dangerous. U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,534, discloses weights applied to the arrow shaft itself, behind the insert that accepts the arrow tip, and uses a horizontal bar to add and remove weights, actually adjusting the weight of the arrow, not the weight of the arrow tip. Special tools and/or systems are required to adjust the weights in these systems and they require extensive steps to accomplish change.